Wallboard measuring and cutting device



Jan. 7, 1958 c. T. CRAWFORD K 2,818,644 5 l WALLBOARD MEASURING AND CUTTINGI DEVICE Filed April 15, 1955 ,fr/G. 4.

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United tate Patent WALLBOARD MEASURING AND CUTTING DEVICE Claude T. Crawford, West Monroe, La.

Application April 15, 1955, Serial No. 501,505

1 Claim. (Cl. Sil-293) This invention relates to cutting tools, and more particularly to implements for cut-ting sheet material, such as wallboard or the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved wallboard measuring and cutting device which is simple in construction, which is easy to use, and which enables an operator to rapidly and accurately cut pieces of wallboard from a rectangular sheet.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of an improved board measuring and cut-ting device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the wallboard measuring and cutting device of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross ysectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

-Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of the wallboard measuring and cutting device of Figures 1 -to 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional detail View taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, the improved measuring and cutting implement is designated generally at 11 and comprises an elongated calibrated rod 12 which is relatively dat and Which is rectangular in transverse cross section, as shown in Figure 3, the ysurface of the rod 12 being suitably calibrated in inches, or similar linear units and being provided with yseveral scales, as shown in Figure l, designated at 13, 14 and 15 providing various ways of using the implement, as will be presently described.

Secured to and extending transversely of one end of the rod 12 is a block member 16 which is formed with a rectangular recess 17 in which is `secured a depending cutting blade 18, said blade extending substantially perpendicular to the rod member 12, as shown in Figure 5, and being held in fthe recess 17 by a clamping block 19 secured in said recess, as by suitable fastening screws 20, 20. As shown in Figures 4 A.and 5, the blade 18 is generally rectangular in shape and is fastened in t-he recess 17 in an inclined position, as by a pai-r of pins 21, 21, a lower corner of the blade depending from the bottom surface of the rod 12 to deiine a cutting edge perpendicular to 'said bottom surface and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rod. However, as shown in Figure 4, the sharp edge 24 of the blade is inclined, due to the inclined position in which the blade is secured in the recess 17.

Slidably mounted on the rod is the transversely extending, depending stop block 25 which is provided with means for at times frictionally engaging the rod member to secure the stop block in an adjusted position thereon, comprisice ing an arm 26 which is pivoted to the stop block 25 at 27 and which has a curved bottom edge 28 engageable with the top surface of the rod 12 and which serves to frictionally lock the block 25 with respect to the rod member when the arm 26 is rotated downwardly and held against the top surface of the rod member. As shown in Figure 4, the stop block 25 depends below the bottom surface of the rod member a substantial distance, and said distance being substantially the same as the thickness of a sheet of wallboard, so that the device may be employed on a stack of sheets of wallboard to sever a portion of the top sheet thereof without interference from the underlying wallboard sheets.

Secured to the bottom surface of the end portion of rod 12 opposite to the block member 16 is a depending stop block 30 which serves to prevent the removal of the sliding stop member 25 and thus prevents loss of said stop member 25.

In using the device, for example, on a sheet of wallboard of a length of four feet, the top scale 13 is employed, the block 25 being adjusted to a position along the scale 13 corresponding to the number of inches of the board which it is desired to leave. The arm 26 is then held down and the depending portion of the block 25 is engaged with the edge of the sheet of wallboard While the blade 13 is engaged in said sheet. The blade 18 depends a sufficient distance to penetrate through the major portion of the sheet without fully penetrating same. ThusL as the device is moved along the sheet, employing the depending portion of the block member 25 to guide the device, the sheet is scored by the depending cutting blade element 18. Subsequently, the sheet may be severed by merely bending same around the scored portion, whereby the strip dened between the stop block 25 and the depending blade 18 in the scoring operation is readily separated from the remainder of the sheet, leaving the length indicated on the scale 13 in the previous scoring operation. Similarly, in the case of an eight foot sheet, the scale 14 may be employed, the scale 14 commencing at the six foot mark, and indicating the amount left in the sheet when the stop member 25 is adjusted to any position along the rod shown in Figure 1. Similarly, the scale 15 may be employed as a direct reading device to indicate the Width of a strip severed from the sheet corresponding to the adjusted position `of the stop block 25 when the device is employed in the same manner as described above to score a sheet of wallboard at a predetermined distance from the edge of said sheet against which the depending portion of the block member 25 is engaged when the device is moved across the surface of the sheet.

While a specific embodiment of an improved wallboard measuring and cutting device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A wallboard measuring and cutting device comprising an elongated calibrated rod member having a ilat bottom surface slidably and supportingly engageable on a sheet of wallboard, or the like, a rectangular cutting blade secured in an inclined position of said rod member with a bottom corner portion thereof depending below the bottom surface of said rod member and extending substantially perpendicular to said rod member, a depending stop member slidably mounted on said rod member, said stop member being adapted to engage the edge of a sheet of Wallboard on which the rod member is disposed, and an arm pivotally connected to said stop member for rotation in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of said rod member and having a curved bottom edge fricionally engageable with the top surface of said rod member to hold said stop member in an adjusted position on the rod member,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Van Deventer Mar. 1, Latta Feb. 8, Cero Nov. l5, Weller May 17, Capstock Aug. 17, Gilbert Aug. 25,

Denny July 27, 

